Q: Is there stem cell reatment for children with Down Syndrome? A: Yes, early intervention of Down syndrome infants and children with Precursor Stem Cell Therapy can Make a difference in maximizing their potential abilities for a better life. Down syndrome children have been treated in Europe with Precusor Stem Cell Therapy and results conclude that there is significant improvement in all areas, speech, concentration, IQ, height and motor skills, as well as improvements in their immune system. The features of Down syndrome become less and less pronounced wirh each successive treatment.

The most common features associated with Down syndrome are:

Dental Anomalies

Enlarged tongue

Single deep crease on palm

Malformed fifth finger

Wide space between big and second toe

Small abnormally shaped ears

Excessive ability to extend joints (hyperflexibility)

White spots on iris (Bruschfield spots)

Upward slant eyes

Low set nose and short neck

Cognitive development as pertaining to perception, memory, judgement and reasoning in children with Down syndromenis quite variable. Ideally, the identification of the best methods of teaching each particular child begins soonafter birth through early intervention programes. Since children with Down syndrome have a wide range of abilities, success at school can vary greatly.

Q What is the cause of Down Syndrome? A The cause is yet to be determined. In a process called non-disjunction, the two copies of chromosome 21 fail to separate during formation of the egg, resulting in an egg with two copies of the chromosome. When this egg is fertilized, the resulting baby ends up with three copies of chromosome 21 in each of its cells. The cause of this non-disjunction remains unknown. The probability of Down syndrome increases with advanced age of the mother. Down syndrome has nothing to do with race, nationality, socioeconomic status, religion, or any thing the mother or father did during pregnancy. There is also no correlation between Down syndrome and incest.

Between two and four percent of the time, a person is born with Mosaic translocation Down syndrome (mDs) whereby some but not all of the cells have an extra copy of the 21st chromosome and the other cells are not affected. Translocation happens when a piece of chromosome 21 becomes attached to another chromosome during cell division. In the case of hereditary Translocation Down syndrome (a rare one to two percent of all people with Down syndrome), an extra chromosome 21 is inherited from one of the parents.

Q What is the lifespan of person with Down syndrome? A Approximately 60 years. As recently as 1983, the average lifespan of a person with Down syndrome was 25 years. The dramatic increase to 60 years is largely due to the end of the inhumane practice of institutionalizing people with Down syndrome.